Pile fabric with wefts of different sizes



April 10, 1962 J. T. M OISAAC, JR. ETAL PILE FABRIC WITH WEFTS OFDIFFERENT SIZES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 18, 1960 INVENTORS JOHN T.MAclsAbcJla. anJCHAELES BSUMPTERA'Q.

' mkw fmw I ATTORNEYS April 10, 1962 Filed Feb. 18, 1960 J- T. M ISAAC,JR, ETAL PILE FABRIC WITH WEFTS OF DIFFERENT SIZES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2IOCL.

INVENTORS JOHN T. MAQISAAC.,JR.

and CHARLES B. $UMPTER,JR.

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ATTORNEYS April 10, 1962 J. T. M lSAAC, JR. ETAL 3,028,884

PILE FABRIC WITH WEFTS OF DIFFERENT SIZES Filed Feb. 18, 1960 sSheets-Sheet s inger-+13 {III I, I. Ks

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ATTORNEYS States atent thee 3,028,884 Pill-2E FABRIC WITH WEFTS OFDEFFERENT SIZES John T. Maelsnac, 3n, Spray, and Charles B. Sumpter,.ir., Leahsville, Nil, assignors to Fieldcrest Mills, inc, Spray, N.C.,a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 18, B68, Ser. No. 9,610 7 Claims.(Cl. 139-402) This inventon relates to improvements in pile fabrics,such as rugs, carpets and the like, characterized by raised loops and/ortufts formed of warpwise pile yarns looped beneath weft yarns interwovenwith ground warps,

In order to provide a woven base or ground fabric which adequatelysupports and adequately separates pile made from relatively soft,loosely twisted and/or towlike pile yarn, such as wool, cotton,synthetic materials or combinations thereof, it is common practice toweave the base from relteively large wefts such as jute, hard twistedcotton and/or synthetic strands of considerable size and strength ascompared to the ground warps. This is also desirable in order to providethe desired bulk and resiliency in the base without utilizing large andunnecessarily expensive ground warps. However, the use of relativelylarge wefts throughout the base fabric has required that considerableamounts of relatively expensive pile yarn have been buried in andbeneath the base and have also extended around the weft yarns in thebase, since the pile yarns are necessarily looped beneath wefts andproject upwardly at opposite Sides of the respective wefts.

In order to provide a pile fabric suitable for rugs, carpets and thelike which may be produced at less cost than prior fabrics withoutsacrificing the quality of the fabric to any extent and whilemaintaining the pile of the same height as comparable pile fabricofeonventional construction, it is an object of this invention toprovide a pile fabric comprising a base formed from ground warpsinterwoven with wefts of at least two different sizes, which wefts maybe alternately arranged individually or in groups, and wherein the pileyarn is looped beneath the smaller wefts in every practical instance sothat a lesser amount of pile yarn is buried in the base than hasheretofore been the case when a given height of pile yarn is exposedabove the base.

The principles of the present invention are particularly adaptable totwo-shot and three-shot weaves since the pile yarn may be looped beneaththe relatively smaller wefts, in each instance, and the larger weftsthen serve to space apart the legs of respective loops whose bights areabove the base. The principles of the present invention are alsoapplicable to single-shot weaves, but it is apparent that the pile yarnis then looped beneath both the relatively large and small wefts inalternation.

The present invention is shown in association with a single Weft planepile fabric characterized by pile yarns which are shogged above andacross ground warps as loops are formed above the base and overwarpwis'e pile wires. Fabrics of this general character are disclosed inU.S. Patent No. 2,655,951 granted to E. F. Clark on October 20, 1953,and US. Patent No. 2,860,669 granted to I. O. Moberg on November 18,1958, and may readily be woven on a loom of the character disclosed inour copending United States application Serial No. 836,491 entitled HighSpeed Carpet Loom and Method of Weaving, and filed August 27, 1959.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description pro ceeds when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is a somewhat schematictop plan view H invention is shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4 in the form of'of a portion of one form of the improved fabric embodying the wefts ofdifferent sizes;

FIGURE 2 is a warpwise or longitudinal sectional view through the fabricof FIGURE 1 taken substantially along line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the portion of fabric shown in FIGURE 2 in whichthe loops have been severed;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the twoshot fabric shown inFIGURE 1, but wherein the fabric has been exploded;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the fabric with high,intermediate and low or groundengaging pile loops;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FiGURE 5 in which the intermediate loopshave been severed and the high and ground-engaging loops remain intact;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 in which both the high andintermediate loops have been severed;

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 in which only the high loops havebeen severed or cut and the intermediate and the ground-engaging loopsremain intact;

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FEGURE 1, but showing the fabric in theform of a one-Shot or single-shot weave;

FIGURE 10 is a longitudinal or warpwise vertical sectional view throughthe fabric taken substantially along line 1tl--ltl in FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is a view similar to FIGURE 10 wherein the loops have been cutto form tufts;

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged view similar to FIGURE 9 in which the warps andwefts are shown in exploded relationship.

To our knowledge, all carpet manufacturers have considered it necessarythat all weft yarns in the base of a pile fabric must be made from juteor other relatively. large strands of the same size throughout thelength of the fabric, so that the base would have Sufficient strengthand body to adequately support the pile yarn and to maintain the legs ofthe loops or tufts in proper spaced relationship.

To our knowledge, it had never occurred to anyone heretofore thatrelatively small weft yarns could be used. in alternation with the usualor conventional relatively heavy weft yarns in such a manner as toreduce the amount of pile yarn required for a given length of carpetfabric and, in weaving carpet fabrics whose pile yarns are shoggedacross and above respective groups of ground warps, different sizes ofweft yarns could not be used because the insertion of the weft yarns inthe shed was effected by a reciprocating needle. Thus, the yarn couldnot be changed during operation of the loom.

In said copending application, Serial No. 836,491, we have provided aloom utilizing small projectile-like gripper shuttles forformingdouble-ended wefts and to which two different yarns are directedin alternation, and including pile yarn guides for feeding and shoggingpile yarns over and across warpwise pile wires and respective groups ofground warps. At intervals between certain adjacent picks, the pile yarnguides dip downwardly through the shed and through slots in the shuttlerace so the next weft is cast above the pile yarn, whereupon the weft isbeat up and the guides raise the pile yarns to again shog them overrespective pile wires and groups of ground warps. Thus, the presentfabric may be woven on a loom of this type by directing jute or otherrelatively large textile strands to certain spaced or alternate grippershuttles and directing a relatively fine or small yarn to interveninggripper shuttles. Examples of the improved fabric are shown in theannexed drawings and will now be described in detail.

'lhe first form of carpet fabric embodying the present a two-shot,shogged loop pile carpet fabric. The term shogged loop pile" is usedherein to define pile loops which are formed above and across respectiveground warps.

The section of fabric shown in FIGURES 1 and 4 is broadly designated atand illustrated in the form of a two-shot weave including groups ofground warps or main ground warps, preferably four in number, indicatedat a, b, c and d, each adjacent ground warp being shedded in oppositedirections with a single, continuous, warpwise extending, pile yarn 11being woven into the base or ground fabric with each group of groundwarps a through d, with the exception of those groups of ground warpsdisposed adjacent the selvage of the ground fabric. The ground warps athrough d are interwoven with relatively large weft yarns 12 which arearranged in alternation with intervening relatively small weft yarns 13.

Reading from left to right in FIGURE 4, it will be noted that each pileyarn extends beneath a relatively small weft yarn 13 and the extremeleft-hand weft yarn i3 is then beat up by the usual reed. The pile yarns11 are then raised above the ground fabric and are shogged across andabove the respective groups of ground warps while also being shoggedacross and above respective warpwise extending pile wires, not shownherein but being clearly shown in said copending application. Thereupon, the next succeeeding weft yarn, which is one of the relativelylarge weft yarns 12, is inserted through the shed formed of the groundwarps.

The latter relatively large ground weft yarn is then beat up and thepile yarns are then dipped downwardly through the shed formed of theground warps and between adjacent groups of ground warps. Anotherrelatively small weft yarn 13 is then inserted and beat up while thepile yarns are positioned through the shed so that the third weft yarnfrom the left in FIGURE 4 overlies the pile yarns 11 and the pile yarns11 are, thus, looped beneath the relatively small weft yarns 13.Thereafter, the pile yarns are raised and shogged in the oppositedirection over the same respective groups of warps a through d and asucceding relatively large weft yarn 12 is inserted through the shedthen formed by the ground warps a through d. The pile yarns 11 are thenagain dipped downwardly through the shed formed of the ground warps tocomplete a cycle in the forming of the two-shot fabric 10.

Although the pile yarns 11 are shown looped over each set of groundwarps, it is apparent that they may be looped over alternately spacedsets of ground warps, if desired so as to facilitate cutting and seamingalong the intervening sets of ground warps during installation of thecarpet thus formed.

t will be noted that the weft yarns 12, 13 are each in the form of asingle double ended strand. In view of the fact that the weft yarns 12,13 are in the form of double ended strands, a selvage is formed in orderto bind the wefts 12, 13 in proper relationship. To this end, a pair orset of selvage warps e, f is provided adjacent each longitudinal edge ofthe fabric 10.

Each set of selvage wraps e, f is interwoven with the weft yarns 12, 13so that each selvage warp 'e passes above each relatively small weftyarn 13 and beneath each relatively large weft yarn 12, while theselvage warp f passes beneath each relatively small weft yarn 13 andabove each relatively large weft yarn 12. In addition, in order to lockthe selvage warps in engagement with the wefts, the selvage warps e, fcross over and under each other between adjacent weft yarns in the formof a leno weave. In other words, each selvage warp passes from side toside of the other selvage warp in the respective pair as each successiveweft yarn is inserted and beat up.

Referring to FIGURE 2, it is apparent that a substantially lesser amountof warp yarn 11 is looped beneath each relatively small weft yarn 13than would be the case if the pile yarns 11 were looped beneath therelatively large weft yarns 12, thus effecting considerable savings inthe amount of yarn required to weave a given length of fabric. Therelatively large weft yarns 13 are positioned within the respectiveloops; i.e., between the legs of the respective loops, so as to spacesaid legs apart and produce a broad loop. If relatively small wefts wereused in place of the large wefts, the proximity of the legs of the loopswould be such as to require an excessive length of pile yarn for a givenlength of fabric, and this would defeat the purpose for which the smallwefts 13 are provided. Further, since the weft yarns 13 are relativelysmall as compared to the weft yarns 12, adjacent loops are compactedmore closely together to thereby produce a tighter and more compact pilefabric than may be obtained when all the weft yarns are of the same sizeand of sufficient size to adequately support the pile yarns and toadequately space the legs of each loop.

The portion of fabric shown in FIGURE 3 is identical to that shown inFIGURE 2 and is provided only to illustrate the fabric of FIGURE 2 whenthe pile has been cut or severed. Accordingly, elements shown in FIG-URE 3 will bear the same reference characters as like elements in FIGURE2 and a further description thereof will not be given.

The portions of fabric shown in FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8 may also be wovenin the same manner as that described with respect to FIGURES l, 2, 3 and4, with the exception that warpwise pile wires having different heightsof loop-forming stages are used, such as those shown in said MobergPatent No. 2,860,669. In this instance, the pile yarns in FIGURES 5, 6and 7 are respectively broadly designated at 11a, 11b, 11c and 11d. Therelatively large alternately spaced weft yarns in FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8are respectively designated at 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d and the relativelysmall weft yarns in FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8 are indicated at 13a, 13b, 13cand 13d, respectively.

By using patterned controlled pile Wires having loop forming stages ofdifferent heights, such as are disclosed in said Moberg Patent No.2,860,669 and in a Moberg Patent No. 2,860,664, relatively high shoggedloops H, intermediate shogged loops I and ground-engaging loops G may beformed in any desired sequence to form a fabric 16a, such as is shown inFIGURE 5. It is apparent that the high loops H are formed overrelatively high loop-forming stages on respective pile wires, theintermediate loops I are formed over stages of lesser height than thestages over which loops H are formed and the pile wires are completelywithdrawn whenever the relatively small loops or ground-engaging loops Gare formed.

In FIGURE 6, the fabric 10b is substantially the same as that shown inFIGURE 5, with the exception that the intermediate loops have beensevered, thus forming tufts I-b of substantially lesser height thanadjacent relatively high loops H-b and of substantially greater heightthan ground-engaging loops G-b.

The fabric shown in FIGURE 7 is also woven in the same manner as that ofFIGURE 5. However, all the intermediate and high loops have been severedso that the fabric of FIGURE 7 includes relatively high or long tuftsH-c and relatively short or intermediate tufts I-c, the ground-engagingloops G-c remaining uncut.

The fabric 10d of FIGURE 8 is also woven in the same manner as thefabric of FIGURE 5, but the relatively high loops have been cut so as toform tufts H-d which are of substantially the same or slightly greaterheight than intermediate loops Id. The intermediate loops I-d andground-engaging loops G-d remain intact or uncut.

In all other respects, the fabrics 10a, 10b, 10c and 10d shown inFIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8 are formed in identically the manner describedwith respect to FIGURES l, 2 and 4 and, therefore, a further descriptionthereof is deemed unnecessary.

In FIGURES 9, 10 and 12, another form of fabric embodying the presentinvention is shown, which fabric is woven in substantially the samemanner as the fabric of FIGURES 1, 2 and 4 with the exception that thefabric of FIGURES 9, and 12 is a single-shot fabric so that the pileyarn is looped beneath each successive weft yarn rather than beneathalternate or relatively small weft yarns. Accordingly, the variouselements of the fabric shown in FIGURES 9, 10 and 12 will bear the samereference characters as like elements of the fabric 10 shown in FIGURES1, 2 and 4 with the prime notation added, in order to avoid repetitivedescription.

As heretofore stated, the pile yarns 11 are looped beneath eachsuccessive weft yarn. It follows therefore, that the raised loops areformed above and across each respective group of ground warps a throughd. The pile yarn is raised from within and beneath the shed formed ofthe ground warps and shogged above and across respective groups ofground warps a through d and above respective warpwise extending pilewires, not shown. Thereafter the pile yarns are again lowered throughthe shed formed of the ground warps following the insertion of eachsuccessive weft yarn through the shed and prior to the insertion of eachsucceeding weft yarn through the shed. While the saving in pile yarn isnot as pronounced in a single shot fabric (FIGURES 9, 10 and 12) as itis in a two-shot or three-shot fabric, it is, nevertheless, morepronounced than in prior art carpet fabrics of which we are aware. Sincethe single-shot fabric 10 of FIGURES 9, 10 and 12 is otherwise formed inthe same manner as the two-shot fabric 10 of FIG- URES 1, 2 and 4, afurther detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary. FIGURE 11shows the fabric of FIGURE 10 after the loops formed in the mannerpreviously heretofore described have been severed to form tufts.Accordingly, the fabric of FIGURE 11 beats the same reference charactersas the fabric of FIGURE 10 and a further description of the fabric shownin FIGURE 11 is deemed unnecessary. Fabric woven in the manner of thefabric 15' in FIGURES 9, 10 and 12 may also embody the various loop andtuft formations shown in FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8, for example.

In actual practice, a number four cotton yarn was used to form therelatively small alternately spaced weft yarns such as weft yarns 13 inFIGURE 4. On the other hand, the intervening relatively large weft yarns12 were made from jute having a diameter approximately twice thediameter of the cotton weft yarns 13. Of course, the sizes of thedifferent yarns may vary to any desired extent and it has been foundthat the alternately spaced relatively small weft yarns should beapproximately one-half the diameter or size of the interveningrelatively large weft yarns. Both the relatively large and relativelysmall weft yarns can be made from any desired textile material such ascotton, nylon or other synthetic material, jute, rayon and the like, orcombinations thereof. Of course, the pile yarn 11, of which the loopsand tufts of the various forms of the invention illustrated herein areformed, may be of a soft wool, synthetic bulk yarn of any other type ofyarn usually used for forming the pile on carpet.

As heretofore indicated, one important reason why a yarn of relativelylarge diameter serves as the weft yarn beneath each raised loop in thetwo-shot weave fabric 10 shown in FIGURES l, 2, 3 and 4, is to insurethat the legs of the loops or tufts are spaced sufficiently apart fromeach other so as to avoid defeating the purpose for which the relativelysmall weft yarns 13 are provided; that is, so that the savings in pileyarn effected by the use of the small weft yarns overlying the loopedlower portion between adjacent pile loops will not be absorbed bypacking the loops formed above the base fabric too closely together.This, of course, is another advantage in the two-shot or three-shotfabrics as compared to the singleshot fabric 10' shown in FIGURES 9, 10,11 and 12.

The loops above the ground fabric in a three-shot fabric pass over twoweft yarns rather than 'a single weft yarn and their lower loopedportions are looped under a single weft yarn, as is well known.Therefore, an illustration and description of a three-shot fabric isdeemed unnecessary, it being sufficient to state that the lower loopedportions of the pile yarns in each instance, would pass beneath arelatively small weft yarn as compared to the weft yarn appearingbeneath the upper portions of the pile yarn.

It is thus seen that we have provided an improved pile fabricparticularly adapted for use as carpets, rugs and the like, wherein asavings in the amount of yarn necessary to make a given length of fabrichaving a pile of predetermined height is realized due to the fact thatrelatively small and relatively large weft yarns appear in alternationin the base fabric and the looped lower portions of the pile yarn passbeneath the relatively small yarn in each instance in a two-shot ormulti-shot fabric and, at least, alternate looped lower portions of thepile yarn pass beneath the relatively fine weft yarns in a single-shotpile fabric, the larger yarns serving to provide the desired strength,thickness and body to the ground fabric and the fine or relatively smallweft yarns requiring that only a relatively small amount of pile yarn belooped about the same, due to the fact that the relatively small weftyarns are approximately one-half the diameter of the relatively largeweft yarns.

In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferredembodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in theclaims.

We claim:

1. A single weft plane pile fabric constructed to use less pile yarn forany given height of pile or pile density comprising ground warpsinterwoven with weft yarns and forming a base, said weft yarns includingalternately arranged, relatively large conventional size weft 'yarns andintervening relatively small weft yarns positioned between said largeweft yarns and being approximately one-half the size of said large weftyarns, and pile yarns looped beneath a single weft yarn in each instanceand projecting above the base in the form of pile, those single weftyarns beneath which the pile yarns are looped including at least saidsmall Weft yarns.

2. A single weft plane pile fabric constructed to use less pile yarn forany given height of pile or pile density comprising ground warpsinterwoven with weft yarns and forming a base, said weftyarns includingspaced, relatively large conventional size jute weft yarns andrelatively small cotton weft yarns approximately one-half the size ofsaid jute yarns airanged in alternation with said jute yarns, and pileyarns looped beneath a single weft yarn in each instance and projectingabove the base in the form of pile, those single weft yarns beneathwhich the pile yarns are looped including at least said small cottonyarns.

3. A single weft plane pile fabric constructed to use less pile yarn forany given height of pile or pile density comprising ground warpsinterwoven with weft yarns and forming a base, said weft yarns includingspaced, relatively large conventional size weft yarn and relativelysmall Weft yarns approximately one-half the size of said large weftyarns arranged in alternation with said large weft yarns, and pile yarnslooped beneath a single weft yarn in each instance and projecting aboveand across certain of said ground warps in the form of pile loops, thosesingle weft yarns beneath which the pile yarns are looped including atleast said small weft yarns.

4. A single weft plane pile fabric constructed to use less pile yarn forany given height of pile or pile density comprising ground warpsinterwoven with weft yarns and forming a base, said Weft yarns includingspaced, relatively large conventional size jute weft yarns and relatively small cotton weft yarns approximately one-half the size of saidjute yarns arranged in alternation with said jute yarns, and pile yarnslooped beneath a single weft yarn in each instance and projecting aboveand across certain of said ground warps in the form of pile loops, thosesingle weft yarns beneath which the pile yarns are looped including atleast said small cotton yarns.

5. A single weft plane pile fabric constructed to use less pile yarn forany given height of pile or pile density comprising ground warpsinterwoven with weft yarns and forming a base, said weft yarns includingspaced, rela tively large conventional size weft yarns and relativelysmall weft yarns approximately one-half the size of said large weftyarns arranged in alternation with said large weft yarns, and pile yarnseach being looped beneath a single small weft yarn, over a group ofground warps, beneath a single large weft yarn and back over the samegroup of ground warps to complete a cycle of interweaving with the weftyarns and to thereby form pile loops.

6. A single weft plane pile fabric constructed to use less pile yarn forany given height of pile or pile density comprising ground warpsinterwoven with weft yarns and forming a base, said weft yarns includingspaced, relatively large conventional size weft yarns and interveningrelatively small weft yarns approximately one-half the size of saidlarge weft yarns arranged in alternation with said large weft yarns, andpile yarns looped beneath only a single small weft yarn in each instanceand projecting above and across certain of said ground warps and asingle large weft yarn in the form of pile loops.

7. A single weft plane pile fabric constructed to use less pile yarn forany given height of pile or pilo density comprising ground warpsinterwoven with weft yarns and forming a base, said weft yarns includingspaced, relatively large conventional size jute weft yarns andrelatively small cotton weft yarns approximately one-half the size ofsaid jute yarns arranged in alternation with said jute yarns, and pileyarns looped beneath a single weft yarn in each instance and projectingabove certain of said ground yarns in the form of pile, those singleweft yarns beneath which the pile yarns are looped being only the smallcotton yarns.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,187,344 Dewas Jan. 16, 1940 2,860,669 Mober-g Nov. 18, 1958 2,903,022Hoeselbarth Sept. 8, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 497,411 Great Britain 1939

